Song Challenge: Love and Marriage
by Windfighter
Summary: Emil and Lalli have been together for a few years now and they're happy like that. Love is usually followed by something else though.


And one more for the Song Challenge, this time inspired by Frank Sinatra's _Love and marriage_. Lalli is behaving a little OOC in it but... Let's blame that on him having been together with and lived with Emil for a few years. Also they're probably communicating with a mix of Swedish and Finnish but it doesn't really matter, point is they understand each other!

Anyway, here you go, my failed attempt at writing romance!

 **Warnings:** Kissing. Hugging. Food. A couch. OOC character.

* * *

Emil closed the door behind him, let his coat fall to the floor and kicked off his shoes. He muttered slightly as he made his way over to the couch and fell down into it, closed his eyes and rested his head against the armrest. He heard his boyfriend wake up in the bedroom, disturbed in his sleep by Emil's entrance.

"Tough day at work?"

Emil nodded and Lalli pulled his fingers through Emil's hair and kissed his forehead. Emil opened his eyes, placed his arms around Lalli's neck and pulled him closer.

"I missed you out there. We met a beast."

"Are you alright?"

Worry danced over Lalli's face but Emil nodded.

"Yeah, just a scratch, nothing serious. I'm staying home tomorrow though."

"You hungry?"

Emil nodded, unwrapped his hands around Lalli and let them fall down again. Lalli patted Emil's shoulder.

"I'll make some dinner for us."

"You need my help out there?"

Lalli shook his head.

"No, you take it easy. It looks like you need it."

Emil almost sat up and rushed to the bathroom to make sure he didn't look too terrible, but pain shot up from his side and he flopped down again. He smiled at Lalli.

"Thanks."

"It's nothing. You made breakfast so it's only fair."

Emil closed his eyes, listened as Lalli worked in the kitchen. After a while he got up, ignored the pain from the wound at his side and went to pick up his coat. He wrinkled his nose when he saw the large tear in the side.

 _Need to fix that tomorrow..._

He put the shoes in their place, threw the coat over the back of the couch and went into the bathroom. He smiled slightly when he saw the mud and dirt in his hair and on his face. No wonder Lalli told him to rest. He washed it off, changed into more comfortable clothes and went into the kitchen. Lalli was standing by the stove and Emil sneaked closer, wrapped his arms around the other.

"Smells delicious."

"It's just fried fish."

Emil kissed Lalli's neck, hugged him tighter.

"Who said I was talking about the food?"

Lalli shook his head, whacked Emil lightly with the spatula.

"Go set the table, it's done soon."

"I'd rather stay here", Emil whispered and rested his head on Lalli's shoulder.

"There won't be any dinner then."

"Don't care."

Lalli put the spatula down, pulled free from Emil's grip and turned around to look at him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Emil rolled his eyes, grabbed a pair of plates.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry."

"Want me to stay at home tonight?"

"I always want that", Emil kissed Lalli before putting the plates on the table, "but I'll be sleeping anyway and they need you out there. Don't worry about me."

"If you say so..."

Lalli took the food off the stove, put it on the plates and then the two of them sat down, ate in silence. Lalli kept glancing at Emil, kept trying to see if the other was as fine as he said and everytime Emil caught him he squeezed Lalli's hand and smiled. They finished the meal, Emil put the dishes in the sink and was about to wash them, but Lalli gently pushed him back towards the couch.

"I'll take care of them today."

"Lalli, I'm not dying."

"I know", Lalli kissed Emil on the cheek. "I'm just trying to be nice."

"You're always nice."

Emil buried one hand in Lalli's hair, placed his other on Lalli's back and pulled him close. Their foreheads touched and Lalli wrapped his arms around Emil.

"Maybe I want to be even nicer."

"Well, I guess I can figure out something for that."

Emil smiled mischievously and Lalli hugged him tighter. Emil took a sharp breath, flinched and pulled away, holding his hands to his side. Lalli pulled up Emil's shirt, saw the bandages that covered him.

"...Just a scratch?"

"Yeah", Emil's voice was strained. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Mhm. Need me to look at it?"

"Nah", Emil pulled the shirt down again. "I've already seen a doctor."

"For a scratch?"

"Well, it needed stitches..."

"Alright, no more housework for you this week", Lalli said and pushed Emil into the couch. "And you're taking the week off, no protests."

"How could I disagree when you look so cute?"

Emil smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown.

"It's not fair having you do all the work though."

"Mhm", Lalli ruffled Emil's hair, leaned down and kissed his head. "But you took care of everything when I was sick last month."

"Maybe, but..."

"No buts. We're together, that means we help each other."

Lalli winked at Emil, who blushed, and then he disappeared into the kitchen again. Emil leaned back, listened to the sounds from the kitchen. After a while Lalli came back into the living room and sat down next to Emil. He leaned against the armrest and pulled Emil into his arms. Emil made himself comfortable, leaned against Lalli's chest and snuggled up in the embrace.

"You know where you're going tonight?"

Lalli shook his head, buried his face in Emil's hair and Emil grabbed one of the books on the table. He started reading loudly for Lalli, stumbling over the Finnish words and Lalli gently corrected his pronunciation, translated when there was something Emil didn't understand. After half an hour Emil let the book fall into his lap and he closed his eyes. Lalli took the other book and they repeated the process, this time training Lalli's Swedish.

"No, that means..." Emil mumbled after twenty minutes. "It's... flaggstångsknoppsmålarlärling..."

Lalli put the books on the table again, pulled his fingers through Emil's hair.

"I think someone needs to sleep early today."

"mm..."

Quiet. Emil's breathing was relaxed and Lalli looked at him, held his arms around him but didn't say anything. He listened to the sounds in the quiet apartment, watched the clock move and when it reached eight he nudged Emil.

"I have to go now."

"Aww..."

"Want me to stay?"

Emil sat up, shook his head and Lalli got up from the couch, kissed Emil and left the living room. Emil laid down again and Lalli peeked back inside.

"Bed, Emil. You get cranky from sleeping on the couch."

"Mm... Fine, I will. I love you."

Lalli smiled.

"I love you too. I'll see you in the morning."

He put his coat on, opened the door and peeked into the living room again.

"Ey, Emil..."

Emil sat up, looked at Lalli.

"Do you want to marry me?"

Emil almost laughed, managed not to and smiled towards his boyfriend.

"Of course I do.

"I'm off then, we'll talk more after work."

The door closed behind Lalli and Emil laughed, shook his head. After all this time Lalli still knew how to surprise him.

* * *

A/N: "Flaggstångsknoppsmålarlärling" is translated as "apprentice to the person who paints the top of flag poles" and is a nonsense word.

Anyway, yes, I tried romance! Did I fail? Did I succeed? Does it even matter? They're getting married!


End file.
